​How accurate should a CV be?

As Rachel Reeves is finding out at the minute, having an alleged incorrect date on your CV can be embarassing. Here's four points to consider from an HVAC view:

1. Keep your CV up to date regularly.
Rachel Reeves probably just forgot that she only worked 6 years at the Bank of England, and not a decade there. The point is, the long your career goes on, the harder it becomes to remember what you did 10, 20, or even 30 years ago. So try and keep your CV up to date on an annual basis, even if you're happy in your job, as you never know what's round the corner. It will be easier to remember your achievements too.

2. Everyone is allowed a mistake in their career.
Sometimes people leave off a job from their CV that's not worked out because the time period was short, say 12 months or under. However, I'm not sure this is a good idea.
After Covid, the amount of short stays on peoples CV's really increased. So it's more common than you think.
Equally, recruiting managers are aware of companies going through difficult times, or managers in other companies who don't have the best reputation. So they're more forgiving than you think.

3. It's a small industry, everyone seems connected.
I remember putting a CV to a client, on the face of it, a very good CV. He came back as said he wasn't interested in seeing this candidate. Surprised, I asked why, and he said that he'd left a job off, and it had rasied his suspicions. In HVAC sales, you're working from home alot, independently. The manager has to trust you implictly. An incorrect CV just puts managers off straight away.

4. Before you make that move, check with a reputable Recruiter.
Its so easy to apply for a job these days, but it's not so easy to know what you're getting yourself into.
What's the manager like, what are the products like, what's the support like, what are the targets like? These are all things that a good recruiter should know before they start putting candidates forward. So prevent short stays on your CV by being in the know before you move.